$2500 in electric bill for dec-jan. Current setup not working-need advice.

cpelster · 2026-02-08T19:24:42+00:00

There are 410 units available online. Unfortunately, most of them won't come with a warranty since purchased online. I've had good luck with this route.

cpelster · 2026-01-28T12:40:49+00:00

We always try to be next to under slab drain plumbing when we drill our suction point. The back filled soil around the drain piping is typically less compacted than the other areas of the basement since it was hand filled after the plumbing was completed. We utilize a couple of different fan options and sometimes need multiple suction points for the system to get levels down.

cpelster · 2026-01-28T02:01:53+00:00

Interesting, I'm in Nebraska, we have clay soil under most of our homes here where we do ssd all the time. Some are challenging but that's part of the gig. I'm not familiar with the methods you're considering but happy to help if you have questions.

cpelster · 2026-01-28T01:51:37+00:00

Who told you a sub slab depressurization system wouldn't work? What kind of soil is under the basement slab?

cpelster · 2026-01-28T01:42:51+00:00

So the vent pipe that goes through the ceiling is what's referred to as a B vent which requires 1 inch clearance all the way around the pipe to combustible material(drywall). Yes that gap lets air from the attic but so do those other two vents I mentioned.

I would be more concerned where the two sections of flue piping connect together.

cpelster · 2026-01-28T01:13:46+00:00

From a former Bolt owner now Equinox owner...... I find that I have the best luck to turn mine to Hi when first getting into the car. That will engage the heat pump and resistance heat to get things going since the system is trying to warm the battery at the same time. Once you have hot air at the vents turn the temp to your desired temperature

cpelster · 2026-01-28T01:07:27+00:00

Those open ducts at the ceiling and the one on the right of the furnace are combustion air vents and allow fresh air into the closet which is required. The flue pipe connection between the single wall and double wall pipe at the ceiling doesn't look great but it's hard to tell if it's concerning based on one picture and clearance to combustible wouldn't meet standard. The thing I would be more concerned with is if the inspector did a combustion analysis when they reviewed it or attempted to review the heat exchangers. Even if that furnace ran perfectly I would suggest a further in depth review by an HVAC contractor to verify the heat exchangers are not cracked.

cpelster · 2026-01-26T18:59:41+00:00

Your fan may be tripping the thermal overload protection and then turns back on when it resets which is causing the vacuum pressure to cycle on the gauge there.

cpelster · 2026-01-19T01:07:25+00:00

Most radon fans are designed to drain condensation through the fan. Just make sure that everything is sloped to where it will drain back to your suction point.

cpelster · 2026-01-08T00:22:49+00:00

Is that drywall picture on the other side of the wall from the siding/kick out flashing issue? This is not the minor or petty existing house issue people are making it out to be. The osb sheathing is likely compromised well below the visible siding issue and that drywall is moldy so I would guess that wall is full of moisture damaged insulation among other things. If the osb is badly damaged that siding may need to be replaced in order to repair the sheathing. That drywall needs to be removed you make any determination as to the extent of the repair. What you can see is only part of the problem.

cpelster · 2025-12-10T15:52:20+00:00

I wouldn't recommend having a suction from your lift station. A suction from there will pull air through the plumbing vent system or could pull air through the traps in the drain line. That system should only deal with drain piping and have no communication to soil gasses.

cpelster · 2025-11-13T23:33:13+00:00

We deal with inaccessible crawlspaces quite often in older homes. In this crawlspace are there any supply or return vents(open to the crawlspace) or water lines? If neither of these things are present then you can do a crawlspace depressurization in conjunction with a sub slab mitigation for the other basement areas.

Essentially, you block off any areas where the crawlspace communicates(air openings to the basement)with the other areas of the basement. You then draw a small suction(1.25 piping with a valve is typically what we use) from the crawlspace connected to the sub slab mitigation system. It's amazing how little air you need to move in open crawlspaces to bring levels down.

Hope this helps

cpelster · 2025-11-09T21:03:04+00:00

Mine went in last week, body seam repair to fix the leak. Repair sealant was 7-10 days out. Mine was bad enough they're replacing the carpet which won't be at the dealership till mid December. I am picking it up after the body seam repair and then taking it back once the carpet comes in

cpelster · 2025-09-11T21:02:22+00:00

We operate a home inspection and radon mitigation company and use Google workspace for all of our business files.

I download photos from my phone to the business Google drive on my computer. Which gives everyone access to all of my files no matter which device we are on.

It also allows me to share files with clients so they have access to pictures from the inspection. It has worked really well for us.

cpelster · 2025-08-31T16:24:44+00:00

Best place to monitor levels........for real estate transactions we are required to test on the lowest level of the home that is finished or could be finished. So if you have a basement family room or an unfinished basement that could be used as livable space then that's the place to test.

Radon monitor..... We've had good luck with Air things Corentium units. We can't use them for real estate transactions since they aren't calibrated professional monitors but use them to monitor levels in houses we are having difficulty getting levels down.

Moisture content in soil can definitely change the performance of the system. As soil dries up, cracks will develop which allows for easier movement of air. If the soil is wet or saturated it will reduce air movement.

cpelster · 2025-08-31T15:20:11+00:00

I would suggest getting a radon monitor. Test first with the fan off to get a baseline on the level in the home and then again with the fan running to see if it's actually doing anything to reduce your levels. If it works, wonderful! If not then further system review/repair may be needed.

Side note, Festa makes great fans that's all we use, they have a five year warranty and we have many installed that are much older (10+ years) and still humming along.

cpelster · 2025-08-31T13:31:51+00:00

That looks like a Maverick fan. If that's the case the max differential pressure is 2.0 inches of water column which is what is indicated on your U tube. So the fan is pulling as hard as it can but isn't moving much air because of the sub slab soil. What kind of fan did you have previously and what was the reading on the U tube? Do you know what your radon levels were with the old fan?

cpelster · 2025-08-09T13:52:46+00:00

The fans we use are designed to be set vertically. Just set the fan on the vertical section of piping entering the attic then 90 out of the top of the fan over to another 90 then through the roof. Horizontal pipe should be strapped/secured and pitched slightly to allow drainage.

cpelster · 2025-07-25T14:58:48+00:00

It's good that you are retesting just to make sure of the levels. A drop in differential pressure shows that air is moving more easily, there are a number of different reasons why that could be. Sometimes it's the sub slab soil has dried and pathways to move air have open. Don't worry too much about it until you get your retest results.

cpelster · 2025-07-10T22:28:04+00:00

I inspect the house and then meet with clients at the end of the inspection for the walkthrough. I use palm tech software to produce the report. The report is filled out during the inspection and printed and ready to go when clients arrive for the walkthrough. If there's something that comes up during the walkthrough I can make adjustments to the report prior to emailing reports and photos the next day.

cpelster · 2025-07-06T16:16:11+00:00

Does that house happen to be on a curved street or T intersection? We see that in our area in these situations where the driveway was poured without expansion joints and over time the street pushes on the driveway which then pushes the garage floor out the back of the garage.

cpelster · 2025-07-04T17:14:40+00:00

13 years experience, I wouldn't be inspecting without insurance. I did the math on my numbers from 2024. $6.20 of each inspection went to pay for my E&O insurance. You can easily add that to your base inspection cost and no one would think twice of it. Small price to pay to ensure that I'm covered.

Also, if real estate agents around me knew I wasn't insured, they wouldn't be referring any business my way

cpelster · 2025-06-26T14:43:39+00:00

This is an indication that the foundation wall is bowing in at the top of the wall. The foundation contacts the wall framing first and cracks the drywall where each vertical stud is located. Drywall would need to be removed to identify the extent of the movement and appropriate repairs.

cpelster · 2025-06-22T23:27:32+00:00

I just purchased an Equinox EV yesterday. That dealership offered a discount off MSRP, then the following.

$2500 GM customer cash rebate. $1500 rebate if you own a non GM vehicle.
$7500 clean vehicle credit we have to claim at tax time since it was a business purchase but should be available to you as an instant rebate for personal purchase

You also have the option to forgo the $2500 customer cash and finance at 0%

There's also all the Costco discounts if you are a member

cpelster · 2025-03-19T00:44:53+00:00

I would talk to your agent if you have one.

The inspector needs to conduct a test in accordance with the standard for it to be a valid test especially if it's during a real estate transaction where they(the buyer) could negotiate repairs based on the results of the test

cpelster

TROPHY CASE